We are grateful to be back in the
saddle of Manataka's Smoke Signal News after a two month hiatus.
Beautiful and extraordinary events have been occurring at the Place
of Peace -- all preparing for that glorious Moment in when
prophesy will be fulfilled and the sacredness of this magnificent
Valley of the Vapors will emerge to bring about peace and love among
humans worldwide.

We have made some changes in the
Smoke Signal News. Gone are the excessively long newsletters
to be replaced with more succinct and timely articles pertaining
specifically to Manataka's history, present and future. We
hope you enjoy the new Smoke Signals. ~editor

As we hike the trails of Manataka Mountain
today, we find no monuments to the gentle people who were once the keepers of
Manataka (Place of Peace). Only the Grandfathers now tell the story of the
Rainbow Woman who blessed and guarded the Valley and the healing waters of
Nówâ-sa-lon,
the hot springs.

But this is about to change. On the
southeast slope of Manataka (Hot Springs) Mountain, cross the street from Hot
Springs National Park, there was a small house built in 1920 thatwas demolished in 2010. This little house sat on a half-acre, three
city lots, of sacred
ground; a little piece of the sacred mountain.

Recently Linda Bear Woman Speaks VanBibber of
Independence, Missouri donated the land to the Manataka American Indian Council.
MAIC will receive a clear-title deed to this private property to be held in perpetuity for ceremonies
and other functions. Linda is a retired marketing executive and a member
of Manataka since 2001. Read More...

Several
important stories of Manataka speak of the great feminine
spirit, IxChel, Mother God, Holy Mother of the Mountain, the Rainbow Woman of
Manataka.

It
is said in prophesy that she sleeps deep in the mountain awaiting the day when the people of
the four races of mankind come in peace and gather in a circle to pray and
give thanks to the Creator of All Things.

In
the old days, the Rainbow Woman stood high on the hot springs mountain
holding an eagle feather in each hand. If any person grievously violated
the peace of the Valley, Rainbow Woman dropped a single feather at the
violator’s feet. In the case of an Elder, the feather was laid on his/her
shoulder. That was the first warning – it would be wiser to fly away like a
bird than challenge the peace of the valley. If the violator persisted then
the second feather was dropped and the violator was removed along Dead
Chief's trail to permanent exile -- in some cases exile from Manataka also
included the violator's own tribe. Some were taken to the Place with No
Name and left for dead.

This
spiritual belief and other important stories about Rainbow Woman form the basis of a truth and law of
Manataka that cannot be broken without consequences. The laws given at
Manataka precede and supersede civil laws that govern peace at Hot Springs
today. Read More...

"If the Great Spirit
wanted men to stay in one place He would make the world stand still; but He
made it to always change..." --Chief Flying Hawk, Oglala Sioux

The Elders tell us change
occurs in two directions. They say, "That which is built is constantly being
destroyed; that which is loose is being used to build the new." In other
words, change is constantly going on. Many times we hear people say, "I hate
change." Does it make sense that the Great Spirit would design people to
hate it? The Great Spirit designed people with change abilities such as
visioning, imagery and imagination. Maybe we need to learn to use these
tools and then we'll look forward to change.

Great
Spirit, today, let me see the harmony of Yours, truly changing world.

"Speak it
with your lips and it will become reality. Give form to your faith by
dreaming it. Give life to your dreams by speaking it." Lee
Standing Bear Moore, Manataka

The Elders tell
us that there is no division between reality and our dreams. Faith is
built by imagining or actualizing ones dreams, ideas, thoughts and opinions
to create one life-giving stone of faith after the other. Faith is a
knowing that is far beyond simple belief. By telling ourselves and
others about our dreams, they become part of the new reality that is being
created. A circle of people envisioning the same dream develop a mass
consciousness that will become the reality they all seek.

Les
Lobaugh is, according to Mary Louise
Uhlig of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the most
"influential, important and
anonymous Native lawyer in America".

At the event to mark National
American Indian Heritage Month at
the EPA held in Washington, DC in
November, 2011. Lobaugh was the
featured speaker. His presentation
followed a performance by Joanne
Shenandoah whose music celebrated
the the great influence Native
people have had on environmental
issues. Read
More....

At six a.m. on June 9, 2004, the
celebrated Indian trader Billy Malone awoke to a raid on his
house by National Park Service (NPS) agents. With no
explanation, the agents turned Malone’s place upside down, and
his world crumbled around him. His personal and working
collection of Navajo rugs and jewelry was confiscated. He lost
his job, was kicked out of his home and faced federal charges.

NPS investigator Paul Berkowitz took
over the case a year and a half later. Dispatched to end the
money-draining investigation of the Hubbell Trading Post,
Berkowitz found exactly the opposite of what his superiors were
asserting.

In her
blog
Daily Yonder, Mary Annette Pember, Ojibwe, describes the
conversations between nine revered medicine men and the
“embodiment of Western medicine,” Dr. Donald Lindberg, director
of the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of
Medicine, located in Bethesda, Maryland.

Pember writes,
“Lindberg’s questions revealed the conviction and implied
superiority of Western medicine. He asked how the men treated
specific diseases and wondered if they went into trances when
they conducted healings. The healers demurred at this direct
line of questioning and instead spoke of the central role of
prayer and humility in their work. They alluded to a power
beyond words, the spiritual connection between humans and the
earth. ‘We first ask permission from the Creator to heal
people,’ said Albert Red Bear.”

Did you know a good dose of laughter can actually help your immune
system and decrease stress? Have you ever wished you could let go and
laugh more often at the silliness of life? It sounds easy but it’s not
always possible, particularly if you’re facing ups and downs of life’s
challenges. But if you can lighten up and be more playful, you’ll give
yourself the freedom to have more fun. The good news is laughing has
built-in health benefits to boot.

Here’s another reason to laugh. It’s
contagious. Have you ever wondered why some people tend to attract
others? Look more closely. It may be that they laugh easily and
frequently even when they are surmounting numerous challenges connected
with their health and aging. Read More...

We
would like to take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude to Ward
Stone for all that he has done to help the Mohawk people. He has been a
strong advocate for the health of Mohawks, especially at Akwesasne. In the
1980’s, a midwife from Akwesasne, a Mohawk reservation located not far from
Massena NY, named Katsi Cook got in touch with Ward Stone and expressed
concern about the effects of industrial pollution on the health of the
people who reside there. Stone found extremely high levels of PCBs,
insecticides and other toxins in area fish and wildlife. His work led to
irrefutable proof that the dumping of contaminants by nearby factories was
responsible for the high level of PCBs found in mother’s milk at Akwesasne.
As a result, the people at Akwesasne are benefiting from the awareness of
what needs to be done to maintain a healthy environment for the generations
to come. Ward Stone has worked tirelessly not only as a strong and dedicated
spokesperson for the animals, insects, fish, birds, water, air and Mother
Earth, but he has also spoken up for the health and welfare of the people of
the Northeast. Niawenko:wa (thank you), Ward Stone. Sincerely, Tom
Sakokwenionkwas Porter, Bear Clan Mohawk Kay Ionataiewas Olan, Wolf Clan
Mohawk Read 12 More Letters

Book Review

Relieving the
Burden of Self

By Linda
Schiller-Hanna

As we
venture into the mysterious year, 2012, it can be helpful to
have a bus strap to hang onto. We’d like something from “above”
that anchors us on a potentially jerky trail.
Relieving the Burden of Self
has been designed for this purpose. It can be your “Daily Guide”
to help you negotiate this adventure.

Edgar Cayce urges us to “set
our ideal” for all major activities.
Relieving the Burdenof
Self helps set a
spiritual foundation for 2012. Our aim is to keep our
consciousness above fear and worry and to be actively involved
in the co- creation of our new and improved world.

Linda
Schiller-Hanna, clairvoyant, and Chris Kwarciany, visionary
artist, have joined forces to create a unique tool for
navigating this important year.

Relieving the Burden of Self
is a combination of stories, anecdotes, pictures, labyrinths,
and more. It encourages action, journaling and introspection.
Using this guide asks just a few minutes daily, but if you
desire, you can ramp up your efforts to elicit profound
spiritual unfolding. Read More...

Siddhartha sat beneath his tree, waiting for an answer. He saw a path,
four simple stones, across the stream of sorrow. Rising to bend low, he
called the Earth to silence, casting compassion all around him, like
cherry blossoms caught on the morning breeze. Should I stand aside or
look away from this kind and good man because his words are not in my
book? There are many rooms in my Grandmother's house, with many places
to ponder, a mystery greater than I can contain by building a booth on
God's holy mountain. Deep faith is not a box, but a willingness to
wander, knowing that there is a shepherd, who will always guide me home.~Bishop Steven
Charleston (Episcopal), Choctaw

One night a man came to our house and told me, “There is a family with
eight children. They have not eaten for days,” I took some food and I
went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little
children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their
faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She
divided it in two, and went out, carrying half the rice with her. When
she came back, I asked her, “Where did you go?” She gave me this simple
answer, “To my neighbors – they are hungry also.”

I was not surprised
that she gave – because poor people are generous. But I was surprised
that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are
so focused on ourselves we have no time for others. – Mother
Teresa Read More...

Most folks in Arkansas cherish our animals, whether it be for food, income,
or best of all, as companions. Manataka believes that we have a right to
know what will affect our health as well as what will affect the health of
our pets and our livelihoods. In March of 2011, the governor of Arkansas
signed a bill into law that requires all districts providing water for over
5000 people to add
hydrofluosilicic acid to their water supply. The water fluoridation
mandate bill was rushed through the House and Senate in less than 7 working
days - hardly enough time to hear from all the citizens in Arkansas that
actually voted against adding a known toxic substance to our water.
Read More...

Two Monacan Tribe members from same Family Share Funeral the same day

Pansy
Louise Belvin Gibson,
83, ran joyfully into the arms of Jesus on January 18th, 2012.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, by her parents and by
six siblings. She is survived by six siblings, two daughters,
five grand-children, five great-grandchildren and one great-
great-grandson, along with a multitude of friends and family,
all of whom will miss her immensely. Pansy was a cook at Davis
Creek Elementary for 35 years, touching many lives. Visitation
will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday at Reger Funeral Home,
with services following at 1 p.m. by Rev. Joe Stowers. Interment
will be at Dock's Creek Cemetery, Kenova, W.Va. In lieu of
flowers, Pansy wishes that you donate to St. Jude Children's
Hospital.

Harry "Black Eagle" Belvin,
81, of Huntington, W.V., passed away Thursday, January 19,
2012, at the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House. Funeral
services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Reger
Funeral Chapel by Rev. Joe Stowers. Burial will be in Dock's
Creek Cemetery, Kenova, W.Va. He was born November 15, 1930,
in Huntington, W.Va., a son of the late Bernard and Durffie
Branham Belvin. He was a retired truck driver for
Southwestern Community Action Council. He was a member of
the Native American History Council of WV and an Elder of
the Monacan Nation of Amherst, Virginia. He was a U.S. Army
National Guard veteran. In addition to his parents, he was
preceded in death by two brothers, John and Sam Belvin and
five sisters, Mamie Branham, Louise Belvin, Alice Belvin-Corbin,
Mary Belvin Wade and Pansy Louise Gibson, who passed away
January 18, 2012. Survivors include two brothers and
sisters-in-law, Bernard and Hazel Belvin and David and Kim
Belvin and three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Ann and
Nat Beasley, Ella Cromwell and Helen and Ed Vinson and a
host of nieces and nephews. Friends may call from 11 a.m. to
1 p.m. Saturday at the Reger Funeral Home. Online
condolences to the family at
www.timeformemory.com/reger.

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